Career Services

Resources and Articles

The Power of a Simple Thank You Note

by Peter Vogt
www.monster.com (2003)

It seems amazing, but it's true: A simple thank you note after a job interview can give considerable power and influence and reflect very favorably on your candidacy for the position. Why? Several reasons:

• By sending a thank you note, you show your interviewer common courtesy and respect.

  Unfortunately, in our busy world, we simply don't acknowledge each other's time, efforts, and commitments. By sending a thank you note, you tell your interviewer in no uncertain terms that you appreciate the time given to you. After all, the interviewer had to give up part or all of the day to be with you.

• So few job applicants send thank you notes that you automatically stand out if you do.

  It's shocking, but the majority of job applicants fail to send thank you notes after their interviews. Why? Who knows? But the bottom line is that you wind up in a position to shine simply by putting forth the effort of sending a note.

• A thank you note gives you an opportunity to reiterate points you made during your interview.

  Have you ever left an interview wishing you'd more strongly emphasized a certain skill or experience the employer seemed to be looking for? A thank you note gives you the chance to do just that. After using the first paragraph of your note to thank your interviewer, you can use a brief second paragraph to touch again upon the key points you made in your interview. You can also use a similar strategy to clean up any interview rough spots you might have had -- i.e., to expand upon or clarify responses you felt were weak or shaky.

• A thank you note lets you make points you forgot to make in your interview.

  Sometimes after an interview, as you walk out to your car, you smack yourself on the forehead and say to yourself, "Why didn't I talk about _____?" Frustrating? You bet. But you can take care of the problem to some degree in your thank you note.

• A thank you note demonstrates your written communication skills.

  In receiving and reading your thank you notes, your interviewer will see firsthand how you handle yourself on paper. You'll be using similar skills every day with the company's potential clients, customers and vendors -- so the interviewer will be reading carefully to see how you come across in print.

Writing thank you notes isn't terribly difficult or time-consuming. It can make a much bigger difference than you might think -- perhaps even the difference between the job going to you or someone else.

Have Questions? Contact the Career Services Office at jobsinc@centralgatech.edu